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Something I’ve long suspected is confirmed by real research by the Nielsen/Norman Group. Even though young people are comfortable with technology, they are not experts. I noticed this first with my personal sample of nieces and nephews, ages 24-7, who live all over the country. They know what they know, and like how technology makes their lives easier and more convenient, but they rarely look under the hood of technology or explore it deeply.
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A recent Neilsen survey of technology topping holiday lists for children reveals interesting differences by age. While the iPad tops the list for younger students (31% of students aged 6-12 want the Apple tablet), just 18% of youth 13 put it on their list. While 25% of younger students want the Nintendo DS, gaming devices (portable and tethered) fell below 15% for older teens.
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To learn in the long tail, we need systems that help learners find the content, tools, and communities that match their interests, passions, and needs. At the foundation of businesses that have successfully delivered consumer products in the long tail is a powerful platform. A new service from netTrekker has the potential to be that platform for the education industry.
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Teachers are starting to give up the cell phone battle. Think about it. Kids walk into a classroom with a powerful, tiny communication device and are told to turn it off and put it away. So the devices go under desks and into pockets where students continue to use them. When technology goes underground it becomes subversive and a classroom management headache. On Tuesday, I heard a student panel at Forsyth County Public Schools who were frustrated with the class time wasted by teachers asking students to put away their technology.
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It’s not quite what you think. The disconnect is not between classroom teachers and their students but between student teachers and the future. Unleashing the Future, the Project Tomorrow report on 2009 Speak Up findings surveys aspiring teachers for the first time and finds that these digital natives are learning to integrate technology using spreadsheets and word processors. REALLY!??!
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